Goran Dragic Gets 8 Stitches After Bottom Teeth Go Through Lip

Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic received eight stitches around his lower lip during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, the team announced.  

Dragic's lower teeth went through his lip, according to the Heat. He received three stitches on the inside of his lip and five on the outside.

Dragic returned to the game in the third quarter Air Canada Centre.

Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan elbowed Dragic while driving to the basket in the waning minutes of the second quarter, and officials called Dragic for a blocking foul.

Dragic, who will turn 30 years old Friday, has taken elbows to the mouth on more than one occasion this season. He took an elbow from Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford on Dec. 14 and lost a tooth. The tooth was knocked out again on April 12 after he took another hit to the face against the Detroit Pistons.

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel saw both of those instances and questioned where Dragic gets his dental work done:

Dragic got back up and continued playing on all three occasions. He's even had some of his teeth replaced because of the shots to the face he's taken, as he told Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star:

By returning to the game after receiving eight stitches, Dragic showed his toughness and his desire to help his team win as Miami looked to take a 2-0 series lead.